Mary L. Michael
July 31, 1945 – June 23, 2024
Mary L. Michael, 78, of Santa Rosa passed away peacefully at her home shared with her beloved husband Serge Zimberoff and her rambunctious terrier Zoey in the early hours of June 23, 2024.
Born on July 31,1945 at Children’s Hospital in San Francisco, Mary was the daughter of Lucretia Houghteling and Bruce E. Michael. She spent her childhood on the family walnut farm in the small town of Warm Springs before it was incorporated with four other small townships in 1956 into the city of Fremont CA. When the family moved to San Francisco Mary attended Katherine Delmer Burke school through the eighth grade. For high school she enrolled at Chatham Hall in Chatham, Virginia. In later years she puzzled over the fact that after tiny Warm Springs elementary and the two small all girls schools that followed, she had chosen UC Berkeley where she always felt like a small fish in a big pond. Nevertheless, throughout her elementary and high school years and as a Tri Delt at Cal, she formed many friendships that would last a lifetime. Often her summers were spent at Four Winds Camp on Orcas island off the coast of Bellingham, WA. She went there first as a camper and later as a counselor. After a camp session she frequently would travel across the US to Madeline Island on Lake Superior where her grandparents had a summer house.
Her career in education began in San Jose and in 1984 she moved to Santa Rosa where she was a principal of special education with the Sonoma County Office of Education. In Santa Rosa she met Serge Zimberoff who became her life partner and soul mate. When they got married on the dock in front of the Michael family cottage in 1990 her father, Bruce Michael, walked her down the steps to the dock where the guests were assembled and where the ceremony took place. Mary was a loving stepmother to Serge’s children, Rafael and Tanya and she willingly stepped into the roll of a grandmother who loved walking Rafael’s twin boys to the park in their double stroller. After Rafael moved with his family to Seattle, where he added two more children to his growing family, Mary became known to the four grandchildren as ‘meme’. She loved visiting them every month while they were young and she loved being part of Serge’s family.
Mary was a fun-loving and skilled tennis player with a USTA rating that reached as high as 4.0. She had many tennis friends who loved playing with her as she was fast, had a wicked backhand and a reliable serve. Some of the teams she was on at Countryside and La Cantera Racquet and Swim Club placed high enough such that they got to travel to several regional and national championship tournaments across the country.
For years every week started with a 9:30 a.m. Monday morning doubles game with Jean Schulz, Carol Bartolomei, Jeanie Olson and Mary as the regulars. Along with Serge she gave countless hours to Canine Companions and other NGO groups. She and Serge were certified as handlers for their black lab Inaya, who was a PALS certified therapy dog and could visit libraries, hospitals and help de-stress travelers at the local airport.
Travel was a big part of her life with Serge as attested to by innumerable summer trips with Serge to the cottage on Madeline Island. They also enjoyed international trips which included China, the Greek Islands, Turkey and the south of France with cousins Ted and Dawn Michael. Mary and Serge got to three of the four tennis grand slam tournaments together in Australia, France and New York. Two other trips they often talked about were to when they went to Vietnam and their trip to Cuba.
Mary is survived by her husband, Serge Zimberoff, his children Tanya ZiCornell and Rafael Zimberoff and her four grandchildren Manuel, Noah, Yoela and Alma. Also by her sisters Virginia Michael Ellis and Sarah C. Michael and her brother Peter Z. Michael plus multiple nieces and nephews.
Mary and Serge have a plot in Greenwood Cemetery on Madeline Island where their ashes will be buried. Contributions to Planned Parenthood of Northern California (2185 Pacheco Street, Concord CA 94520) can be made in Mary Michael’s name.
